


Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story

by dragonwings948



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s07e04 Beauty, F/M, Grieving, Hamilton References, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, I Made Myself Cry, I'm Sorry, Missing Scene, Multiple times, Past Character Death, Sad, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 10:11:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12529004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonwings948/pseuds/dragonwings948
Summary: Though Belle is gone, Rumplestiltskin still has work to do, and no matter where he goes he carries with him Belle's final story, the story of their love.





	Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story

**Author's Note:**

> Y'ALL. I'M SO EMOTIONAL ABOUT RUMBELLE RIGHT NOW. 
> 
> This ship has meant so much to me over the past few years, and I'm really sad to see it end. I bawled my eyes out during "Beauty" like I haven't done since Doctor Who's "Face the Raven." Though I am really glad to see that Rumbelle had an extremely adorable and happy life together, it was very bittersweet. I don't think I'll ever be over it. 
> 
> Anyway, I found myself humming "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" after the episode and realised that it was very fitting. (One reason being that the song makes me cry every time I hear it.) 
> 
> I hope this is a fitting tribute to the ship I adore and will miss dearly. 
> 
> P.S. Many tears were shed in the making of this fic.

            Rumplestiltskin couldn’t remember the last time he had cried like this.

            Belle’s passing had always been a thought in the back of his mind, a dark shadow that haunted his deepest fears. But he had never imagined watching the life drain out of her. He had never even dreamed of living without her.

            He had never accepted that this day would come.

            Rumplestiltskin reached out his hand to run his fingers through her hair like he had done so many times before and a flood of memories crashed into the front of his mind, too powerful to shut out.

           

            _“Does it really not bother you when you look at me and see that I haven’t aged?” Rumplestiltskin couldn’t help but voice the burning question as he gazed into Belle’s eyes. Their brightness had never dimmed when she looked at him, even after all this time._

_Belle narrowed her eyes slightly, a sure sign that her answer would either test him or tease him. “Does it bother you when you look at me and see that I have?”_

_Rumple felt his lips stretch into smile. He let his hand trail through her grey-streaked hair and then settled his arm around her waist. “You’re just as beautiful now as you were on the day I first saw you.”_

_The statement elicited a wide grin from Belle. She caressed his cheek and quirked one of her eyebrows. “But?”_

_She knew him too well._

_Rumple sighed, not wanting to spoil her happiness. “I wanted to grow old with you.”_

_Yet, Belle still smiled. “This was all I ever wanted: a life with you. Whether you age or not, it doesn’t matter.” She lightly kissed his lips. “But you’ll find a way to get rid of the dagger soon.”_

_And when she kissed him again, he believed her._

Tears flowed down Rumplestiltskin’s cheeks and his body shook as he cried. He leaned over Belle’s body and held his head in his hands. He should have done something. He _could_ have done something, with the dagger…

            But as he looked at Belle’s face, still smiling, even in death, he knew that this was what she had wanted. She hadn’t wanted to live forever; she had simply wanted to live her life with him, and that had made her content.

            Amidst the tears, Rumplestiltskin managed to exhale a long sigh as he thought: _She was content._

            Yet he also knew that his job wasn’t finished. He had to finish what Belle had died for: getting rid of the dagger once and for all.

            Still, it was somewhere around a day before he was able to dry his tears and find the strength to stand. It was Belle that kept him going. She had been right; he could still feel her light inside of him, telling him that he could accomplish what they had set out to do so long ago. She hadn’t left him. Not entirely.

            Gideon came without even hearing word of what had happened; of course, he was right on time, just when Rumplestiltskin needed him most. They cried together in each other’s embraces and Rumplestiltskin felt his grief double as his son’s body shuddered with sobs.

            They looked at Belle’s grave in silent reverence, and Rumplestiltskin’s purpose was renewed. He knew exactly what Belle would have wanted if she would have had more time.

            So Rumplestiltskin decided to set off, bent on telling Belle’s final story, the story of their love, the story that still lived inside of him.

            Before he left, he placed a hand on the wooden cross that marked his wife’s final resting place. “I can’t wait to see you again,” he whispered. He looked down at the dagger sheathed at his hip and then gazed out at the blazing sun low in the sky. “It’s only a matter of time.”

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly though, I was really disappointed that Rumple didn't go to the other realm by attaching a bunch of balloons to their house and floating away.


End file.
